LIGHTING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE AND LIGHTING METHOD

• US 20110068910A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwai, Kazuhiko, Kurosawa, Youichi
• Application Number:
  US12/991,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/155 Surface emitters, e.g. organic light emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162

Abstract

A lighting device (100) for a vehicle, capable of more adequately draw the attention of a pedestrian to the fact that the vehicle is approaching the pedestrian. The lighting device (100) for a vehicle is provided with an object position detecting section (110) and a lighting control section (130). The object position detecting section (110) specifies an object which is present in the periphery of the vehicle and about which a warning is to be issued, and the object position detecting section detects a positional relationship between the object and the vehicle. The lighting control section (130) controls a headlight (120) so that illuminating light having a color corresponding to the positional relationship is applied to a region in which the object is present.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting apparatus comprising:

a headlight that changes a color of radiated light for every area to illuminate;

an object position detecting section that identifies a target that is present around a subject vehicle and subject to a warning, and detects a position relationship between the target subject to the warning and the subject vehicle; and

a lighting control section that controls the headlight so that a radiated light of a color corresponding to the position relationship, is radiated to an area in which the target subject to the warning is present.

2. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control section further comprises:

a danger level determining section that determines a level of danger for the target subject to the warning, based on the position relationship and information about speed of the subject vehicle; and

a color adjusting section that controls the color of the radiated light radiated to the area in which the target subject to the warning is present, based on the level of danger.

3. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lighting control section further comprises a light illuminated area control section that controls an area to which the radiated light having been subjected to the color control, based on the position relationship and a driving state of the subject vehicle.

4. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control section controls the headlight so that an advancing color is radiated to the area in which the target subject to the warning is present.

5. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the target subject to the warning is a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle or two-wheeled vehicle; and

the lighting control section controls the headlight so that an advancing color is radiated to a head part of the pedestrian or the person riding the bicycle or two-wheeled vehicle and a white color is radiated to other areas.

6. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a distance between the target subject to the warning and the subject vehicle is nearer according to the position relationship, the color of the radiated light radiated to the area in which the target subject to the warning is present, is controlled to a color of a higher degree of warmness.

7. The vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control section controls a color temperature, luminance or illuminance of the radiated light radiated to the area in which the target subject to the warning is present, based on the position relationship acquired by the object position determining section.

8. A lighting method for a headlight provided in a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

identifying a target that is present around a subject vehicle and subject to a warning, and detecting a position relationship between the target subject to the warning and the subject vehicle;

determining a level of danger for the target subject to the warning, based on the position relationship and information about speed of the subject vehicle; and

controlling a color to radiate to the target subject to the warning based on the level of danger.

9. The lighting method according to claim 8, wherein, in the step of color control, the color to radiate to the target subject to the warning is controlled to a color of a higher degree of warmness when the level of danger is higher.